The heyday of the working musician’s degree. An examination of the Durham music degrees, 1890-1945, with particular emphasis on the BMus, to determine their origin, demands, popularity and prestige as a means to professional advancement.

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Between 1891 and 1994 their phasing out in the 1990s the Durham degrees of BMus and DMus were non-residential and offered by examination with no tuition provided. In total over 876 were awarded during that period, many to musicians who later rose to fame and fortune within the musical establishment. Despite their importance these degrees have never been the subject of academic research.


Both the BMus and DMus came about in answer to a growing demand amongst working musicians for an accessible music degree no longer available to them at other English universities due to a series of mid to late 19th century reforms that put degrees in music at arm’s length for most. These reforms were initiated to raise the standard of music degrees generally and redress the low esteem in which they were held by the public at large and particularly other graduates.


Once established the Durham degrees enjoyed meteoric popularity and success, no fewer than 539 of the 876 degrees mentioned above being awarded before 1945. The period 1891-1945 can therefore rightly be regarded as the heyday of these degrees, hence the title of the dissertation.


What now follows below is the fascinating story of how the Durham degrees came about, who took them, who set and examined them, and how useful they proved to their owners in opening doors of opportunity within their chosen field of musical speciality. The research is unique and hopefully it will begin to counter-balance the neglect referred to above.